The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1887-08-25

frame 10 pronounce II right. Then they took
him. AMI slew him NJ the passages Of Jordan -
Judges. XII. 6.
Do You notice the difference of rronun.
citation between shibbolcth and sihboleth'
A very small and uuimDnTtaHt difference,
You say. And vet that difference was the
difference between life end death for a
great many people, The Lords people,
Giload and Ephraim. got into great fight,
and Ephraim was wOr>ted, and on the re-
treat came 70 the river Jordan to cross.
Order was given that all Ephraimites com.
ing there be Slsin. But how could il be
found ont who were Ephraimites: They
were decided by their pronunciation.
Shihbole'h was a word that stood for
river. The EphraimiteS had a brogue of
their own, and when they tried to say
shihboleth always left out the sound of the
"h.' When il was asked that they saw
shihboleth they said sihhci-th, and were
slain.
Then said they unto him. say now Shib-
boieth: and he said Sibhulrtb, for he could
not frame 70 pronounce it right Then they
took h'us. and slew him al the passage Of Jor-
dan.
a very small difference. YOU say, be-
tween Gilead aud Erhraim. and Yet how
much intolerance about that small dir
by which mean the different denomina-
tons Of Christians -sametimes magnify
very small difference. and the only diff
ference between scores of denominations
to-day IS the difference between shibboleth
and SibboIeth,
The Church of God is divided into a
great number Of denominations. Time
would fall me to tell OF the CalvlniStS, and
the Arminiau>. and the Sabbatariaus, and
the Baxterisn~. and the bankers, and the
Shakers. ana the QuakerS. and the Method
lists. and the Bapt;>ts. and the Episco-
paliauS, ami the Lutheraus, and the Con-
gregatiouali>t,, and the Hreshyteraus.
and the Sprituait>tN, and a score of other
denominations Of religioniSts. some OF them
founded by very good men, some of them
founded by very cgotjstc men, and
some Of them founded by very had men.
But as demand for myself liberty OF con-
science. must give that same liberty to
every other man, remembering that he no
more differs from me than | differ from
him. | advocate the largest liberty in all
religion belief and form Of worship In
art, III politics, in morals and in religion
let there be no Gag law. no moving of the
previous question, no persecution, no in
tolerance.
OF know that the air and the water
keep pure TX constant circulation, and |
think there IS q tendency in religious dis
cusslon to publication and moral health.
Between the fourth and sixteenth cent
urleS the church proposed to make people
think Alright by prohibiting discussion and
by strong censorship f the press. and by
rack, and gibbet, and hot lead down the
throat, tried to make people orthodox;
but il was discovered that YOU can not
change mans belief by twisting off his
mead, and that YOU can not make a man
see things differently by putting an awl
through his eyes, There is something in
mans conscience which will hurl off the
mountain which You throw upon it, and,
unsinged of the fire, out Of the flame will
make red wings on which the MARTYR will
mount to glory.
In that time Of which speak, between
the fourth and sixteenth centuries, people
went from the house of God into the most
appalling iniquity, and right along by con-
secrated affairs there were tides of drunk
ennesS and RIGHTEOUSNESS such a the world
never heard of, and the very sewers of
perdtion broke loose and flooded the
church. After awhile the printing press
was freed, and it broke the shackles of the
human mind. Then there came a large
number Of bad books, but where there was
one man hostile to the Christian religion
there were twenty men ready to advocate
it; so | hove not any nervousness in re-
gard to this battle going on between truth
and error.
The truth will conquer just as certainly
rs that God is stronger than the devil.
Let Error run if you only let Truth run
along with it. Urged on by skeptc'S
shout and tranScendentalst'S spur, let il
run. Gods angels of wrath are in hot pur-
suit, and quicker than an eagles heak
clutches out hawks heart, Gods ven
geance will tear it to pieces.
propose this morning to speak to YOU
OF sectarianiSm-itS origin. its evils and
its cures. There are those who would
make US think that this monster, with
horns and hoofs, is religion. | shall chase
it to its hiding place and drag it ont of the
caverns of darkness, and rip off its hide.
But l want to make distinction between
bigOtry and the lawful fondness for pecul-
lar religious beliefs and forms of wors hip.
| have no admiration for a Nottingham.
In a world of such tremendous viciSsi-
tudes and temptation, and with a soul
that must after awhile stand before a
throne of insufferabe brightness, in a day
when the rocking of the mountains and
the flaming of the heavens, and the up
heaval of the sea shall be among the
least of the eXcitementS, to give account
for every thought, word, action, prefer
ence and dislike-that man is mad who
has no religious preference. But our ear
ly education, our physical temperament,
our mental constitution, Will very much
decide our form of worship.
A style of psalmody that may please me
may displease you. Some would like to
have a minister IN gown, and bands, and
surplice, and sshers prefer to have a min
lister in plain citizens apparel. Some are
most impressed when a little child is pre-
scented at the altar and sprnkled of the
waters of holy benedictiOn ''in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost"; and others are more i'm
pressed when the penitent comes up out OF
the river, his garments dripping with the
waters of a baptism which signifies the
washing away of sin. Let either have his
way. One man likes no noise in prayer
not word, BOT a whisper. Another man
Just as good, prefers, by gesticulation and
exclamation, TO express his devotional
aspirations. One is just as good as the
other. every man fully persuaded in hit
own mindA
George Nhitefield was going over &
Quaker rather roughly for some of his re
ligious sentiments, and the Quaker said
81 am as thou art; am for bringing al
men to the hope of the Gospel; therefore
if thou will not quarrel with me about my
broad brim, will not quarrel with thee